


Voltron: Sometimes I Just Miss Earth

by boltlightning777_rainy



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, How do people come up with witty things to put here?, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith is home-sick, Keith still pilots Red in this, Light Angst, M/M, Many mentions of hallways, My First Fanfic, Pre-Season 6, klance, lance comforts him, probably sucks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 05:20:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20002948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boltlightning777_rainy/pseuds/boltlightning777_rainy
Summary: Keith is home-sick and Lance comforts him.





	Voltron: Sometimes I Just Miss Earth

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic ever after reading them for so long. Hope it turned out to not be a dumpster fire. Anyway, enjoy I guess.

It’s night.  
Then again it always seemed like it was night in space. And on this perpetually present night Keith, once again, finds himself awake. Looking to the ceiling of his small cramped room he thinks the twilight hours away; the same streams of words and broken conscience every time.

Is there something back on Earth for me when all this is over?  
It seems like a ridiculous thing to even consider since Keith had come to a conclusion on that about a million times; of course not. He tells himself that the only thing he really misses is the sunset, sun dipping behind the horizon, making the desert sand turn in even more brilliant shades of orange and gold. 

But why does he feel this strange pull inside of him? A pull that longs for Earth and everything on it; the food, the places he had known and ones he’s never been, people he’s seen and those he’s never met. He had experienced this feeling for the first time second-hand when Lance was lamenting on his home-sickness one night and was strung out beyond his wits when Keith was the only one awake to hear him out. He had talked at length about his family and all the mundane things he had taken for granted that he found himself almost needing. He remembers Lance hugging himself, hoping to ward off needless crying, at least while Keith was there.

And Keith had listened, trying not to feel a twinge of jealousy at all the common things he had that Keith could only dream of having. The things Lance could eventually go back to. Becoming a paladin was like an escape for him. He didn’t have to dwell on family or normal life, he could just pilot Red and that became his normal, the only thing he felt connected to.

But here he is, awake at some ridiculous hour thinking the exact same thing. The quiet didn’t help and how the stillness of the air around him almost felt like it was making his skin crawl while simultaneously suffocating him. The rather plain and small accommodation was once a comfort for him, reminding Keith of his musty, sand-caked room back on the desert. Now it's cramped tight, much too hot to be comfortable, and all the while with his thoughts ricocheting off the walls.

Who do I talk to? Who can I talk to?  
At the thought of it, Keith's stomach clenches. He'd rather keep everything inside for him to deal with on his own. He doesn't need a million different opinions running around in his head too, everyone advising him on how to feel or how to think.

But, then again…

It wouldn’t hurt to get it out, to let everything out into the air. Everything was just festering inside of him, making an ugly mess of his insides, choking him up so much that he’d need to vomit and his pillow ends up a tear-stained mess.  
The fogginess in his head coupled with the sweat that made his body almost stick to the sheets, hair curling messily on the pillow, made for a tiresome and sticky experience that became more grueling each minute. Just miserable.

Normally Keith would deal with something like this by taking out his frustration in the training deck. Climbing the levels, increasing the intensity and breaking a satisfying sweat was immensely cathartic, slashing sparring bot after sparring bot with his trusty bayard. Now he just found himself falling deeper into his thoughts and Keith's spite against the enemies grew as they seemed to take advantage of his wandering mind, exacting revenge on their fallen brethren.

Having given up on that and forced to suffer his nights in bed the frustration had gotten to him hours ago, after failing to toss and turn himself to sleep, bags under his eyes growing more apparent, with the sheets practically drenched.

If I don't get this outta my system I'm gonna completely lose it!

He musters up a half-hearted conviction and in one swift movement the covers are sweeping off of him, his foot catching on the sheets as he quickly makes his way up, dragging them to the floor with a musty wump. 

Snatching up a wrinkled shirt he practically throws it over his head pulling it down over his bare torso before slogging uneasily outside. The floors in the hallway made his bare feet involuntarily scrunch, the chill sending goosebumps all over the exposed parts of his arms and sneaking up his legs through the foot holes of his pants.

Yawning, he notes that the long stretch of the corridor is a welcome distraction from the suffocating stuffiness of his room despite the fact that he hasn't thought of a plan. The rooms of the other paladins pass by over and over as he walks back and forth wondering who’d be willing to listen to him at this hour or if he could really brave the prospect of being open with someone in the first place. 

Shiro would listen to me, right? No? Pidge? Hunk’s good at listening, he’ll…

Shaking his head and puffing out a frustrated breath he considers traipsing the hallways for the night instead. Perhaps finding a nice wall to just sleep it all off on. Yeah. He’ll sleep it off. It’ll go away eventually. It can’t bother him forever...can it?

Pfft who am I kidding? This’ll all blow ov-

Slight sounds of shuffling makes him jump, hair standing on end as the barely audible noise meets his ears from a few feet away. He traces the sound back to a room.

Lance’s room.

Perhaps Lance’ll hear me out? No. Yes? N-yes?

He strides the rest of the way to Lance’s door before his conscience can convince him out of it. Knocking on the door without thinking, his hands go clammy and jittery, realizing that he can’t turn back now. 

A nervous lump builds in Keith's throat as the shuffling gets louder and closer to the door.

What’ll he think? Keith Kogane at his door at this hour?! Keith Kogane asking for his stupid thoughts to be heard out. Keith Kogane asking Lance of all people to be what...a confidant? He’ll think I’ve completely lost my damn mind.

He resigns to the fact that it’s game over and the fact that he's probably already lost his mind as the sound comes to stop, unmistakably in front of the door. It opens with a wiir and a disheveled Lance hunches sleepily at the frame. The first thing Keith notices are the bags under his eyes, like he hasn't slept well in days. He guesses he’s never noticed as Lance is usually so...incomprehensibly vivacious.

“Keith?”, he says rumpling his hair fit for a bird’s nest. “What are you doing up?”

“Oh...I just heard you while I was in the hallway...so…”. He trails off and Lance just stares for a while, comprehension running a bit slower at this hour. 

“I was wondering if we could...talk...maybe?” Keith forces the words out like there's a lasso trying to rope the words back down his throat and he bashfully rocks back and forth on the tops and balls of his feet.

Lance responds by just slumping more against the door before wandering out into the hallway, lanky arms hanging low with his hunched posture, not even flinching at the frigid floor. Keith figures this is an invitation and timidly follows while an expected silence stretches between them, the slight slap of lazy bare feet on metallic flooring echoing down the halls.

In the silence Keith rubs his arms, the goosebumps there for more reasons than the cold and he glances slightly at Lance. His eyebrows are furrowed, expression drooping with lethargy. His eyes are very much closed, navigating purely on memory and Lance's pajamas slump off of him at the arms, the clothes probably intentionally bought big and were adorned with a tiny embroidered robotic lion. 

Keith remembers rolling his eyes as Lance vibrated with excitement, holding the very pajamas he wore now at the Space Mall. Lance couldn't stop himself blowing all his money on pairs of the garments for everyone, including Keith. Seeing Lance in these pajamas now made a little prickle of guilt crawl up his spine at the fact that he'd never bothered to wear them. He lets the thought pass, deciding on awkwardly allowing his eyes to wander on his surroundings.

They pass by a window and Keith flinches at the sight of the expanse of darkness and stars. Somewhere out there, lightyears away was Earth, and sometimes he wonders if he'll ever get to hear the crunch of sand beneath his boots or ride out in the freezing wind of desert's night. The admittedly brilliant colors of the galactic sea blur together as his eyes water, going glassy and he has to tear them away. Muffling a sniff behind an arm he tries to make quick work of the flood building behind his eyes.

Keep it together Keith.

Lance bumps shoulders with him as they round a corner and he's brought back to the present, still blinking back tears. He's supposed to be airing these thoughts out to Lance but…

Would he understand? Would he even want to hear me? Ugh-this is stupid. Why did I think this was a good idea? Should've gone back to bed.

His inner bitterness accidentally comes out with an airy grunt and Keith scratches the nape of his neck as Lance blinks suddenly. Soon enough they're ambling into a room and Keith realizes that Lance has led them to the kitchen.

Lance's pace picks up a little, leaving him behind and coming to a stop in front of a row of cabinets. Sleeve sliding down, he reaches up a plucks a box from one of the taller shelves all the while Keith just watches. Midnight or whatever-time-it-is snacks didn't much appeal to him, though it's not like he could have much of an appetite anyway, he already feels sick.

How do I even start? Geez, this is all gonna come out so stupid. 

A bowl is soon brought out and being filled, many pieces scattering everywhere, with what seems to be cereal. Deciding to finally move Keith takes a seat on one of the rustic-looking stools that ring around the humongous island, scooting it more snugly under the lip of the table.

Propping his cheek against a fist, he anxiously tracks Lance's fiddling until he too finds a stool at the island, in front of Keith and pours a generous amount of milk into his bowl.

Okay...just...

He takes a moment to reassuringly clear his throat before...

"Uh...Lance" he starts quietly, toes finding the rung of the stool and tapping on it, stomach doing that clenching thing again. Queasy.

A simple raise of his eyebrows, not looking up from his bowl.

Just spit it out. Like ripping off a band-aid.

"I um…." he stops himself in mild confusion when Lance noticeably sniffs.

"You stink." Lance says with a wrinkle of his nose.  
Completely taken aback and slightly annoyed, suddenly Keith is hyper-aware of the sweaty wetness over his whole body, no doubt from his smoldering room and he hugs his arms to himself, trying to ignore it.

"Lance." he tries again more urgently, everything wanting to burst out but curl up inside of him all at the same time, but Lance just makes a show out of fanning his nose.

"You're tainting m'cereal man, with your stink."

"...Lance...just." he utters quieter and hears his voice quiver, the instability making him break down even faster.

Just fucking listen...to me...please.

“Blehhh”

Rubbing his eyes, tears start to prickle them again and he puts his head on the counter, arms making a little dark nest. Once the first tear hits the counter he can’t stop the flood gates from bursting open despite himself. The droplets force themselves out of him harshly with the power of a star imploding, before releasing all its might in a deadly explosion. The explosive outpouring travels to the rest of him and before he knows it he’s up. The stool is kicked to the wayside, making a deafening bang against the underside of the counter. Keith just heaves and the room is forgotten behind him.

“Keith wait!” he hears Lance shout but at this point, Lance be damned for all he cares. 

He takes an alternate path through the ship, the ruckus he’d made no doubt waking someone, and the last thing he needs right now is more confrontation. 

I knew it. I fucking knew it. Pointless. 

Every single nerve inside of him was buzzing, yet his whole body seemed to be losing steam, fatigue snaking its tendrils through his every cell. His eyelids grow heavy, legs trembling under the weight of countless nights without even a wink of sleep. Everything was catching up and he can’t outrun it...

Including Lance.

Quick footsteps round the corner and Keith can only imagine what Lance looks like, nearly barreling down the hall. He imagines Lance's face creasing with worry and bewilderment, the fabric of his clothes flapping wildly with the movement. And Keith can only just lean heavily against the wall, the last of his energy devoted to accepting the inevitable. The inevitable that was getting louder and louder...and louder.

"Keith! What the hell?!" Lance whisper shouts and the closer he got the more Keith wants to just fall through the floor and float through space, away from everything. 

"Keith?" Lance was behind him now, footsteps slower as he approaches with caution. Knowing Keith, this situation is like poking a bear. 

But Keith doesn't turn around and shout like he wants to. He doesn't get in Lance's face and tell him off. More tears come instead, and he can't hide them like he desperately wants to. 

"Sometimes I just miss home okay." he admits and there's no point in trying to keep his voice stable at this point.

"What?" Lance doesn't exactly know what he expected Keith to say, if anything at all. He approaches again coming around to Keith's front and finally getting the extent of Keith's feelings. 

Keith was crying, shaking. He couldn't keep himself from staring. Keith Kogane has completely lost his composure. Lance opens his mouth as if to say something but nothing comes out.

"You wouldn't understand." 

"And why wouldn't I?" Lance responds. He thinks back to him regaling his home-sickness to Keith and is at a loss.

"You have things to go back to. Family to go back to. I don't. There's nothing for me back there so, why do I miss it so much?"

Lance can't help the guilt and looks down, realizing how his talk with Keith back then could've had an effect on him. Keith really didn't have anything to go back to.

At least…

"You have me."Lance tries and he really means it. They might fight like hell and want each other to choke sometimes but he can see that they've come a long way, been through thick and thin. And that's not even mentioning the other paladins, Allura, Coran. 

Keith can't even muster up a response. 

"It's normal to feel homesick no matter what's back there. I miss Earth too. Not just my family. And one day we'll all get to go back. You won't lose what you have here when all this is over. The whole team loves and needs you. Including me."

Lance looks away when Keith looks up. It wasn't something Lance thought he'd ever admit to; needing Keith. Maybe because of their rivalry and because it would be quite an embarrassing thing to confess with that. But they balance each other out. Red and blue. Samurai and Sharpshooter. A dynamic duo. Even with all that, Lance knows that he wouldn't be complete without him, in the multitude of things that could mean.

He hasn't fully sorted out what Keith means to him but he knows it's there and it's very important to say that to him now.

Keith sniffs, trying to comprehend Lance's words. Lance...needs him. 

"I'd rather not lose you when all this is over." 

Keith just stares, each word Lance says, he has to playback a few times in order for it to click. 

Our partnership is more than just Voltron.

"I'd rather not lose you either Lance."

The realization hits that Keith is so used to this. To Voltron, the team, to Lance. He really didn't want to be distant from them. He didn't want to go separate ways the second the world was saved. Voltron is the family he wants to go back with to Earth. Most of all, if he'd miss anyone, It'd be Lance.

Both of them let that settle in their minds, silence stretching between them. But for once it wasn't out of anger or annoyance, but out of the beginnings of understanding.

All things considered, Keith knew this wouldn't be the end of his home-sickness. But he can put his mind at rest with finally knowing why. Yes, he missed the desert as it was once something familiar to him. Now all this; Voltron, space, Lance, he needed to take them back home with him. He wasn't going to let them slip away. He wasn't going to let Lance slip away. 

They trek back through the Castle of Lions, back to the sleeping quarters and though a weight had been lifted off his shoulders he couldn't fathom going back to his room. Not tonight. Not when he needs to be around Lance. The sudden comfort Lance had brought him, not something he wanted to give up so soon. 

Lance stops at his room, not quite ready to go back either.

"Keith?" he catches his attention just as Keith's door opens.

"Yeah?" 

"I didn't plan on going back to sleep…" Lance trails. 

"Me neither. We could go back and clean the mess we made in the kitchen." Keith shrugs, thankful for the excuse.

"Or...we could just...walk around for a bit. Y'know after you change." Lance laughs, comically scrunching his face.

Keith gives a halfhearted chuckle and gives in, giving a thumbs up before going back into his room. 

From there it's a quick wash and Keith makes a conscious effort to dig through what little he has for nightwear. He sees the distinctive red stripe that goes down the sleeve of those stupid pajamas Lance bought him. Regarding the garment with a smirk he puts it on, and soon after locates the matching bottoms. 

Maybe they're not all that stupid. 

He joins Lance back in the hall and they amble down it in their matching attire, basking in their comfortable silence. Keith lets his mind wander again.

I'm bringing Voltron back home with me.


End file.
